Trans and non binary fertility preservation: egg freeze information

How does gender-related treatment affect fertility?

Hormone therapy and surgeries can impact your fertility, sometimes permanently. The impact depends on the type and length of treatment.

• Hormone therapy (testosterone and puberty/hormone blockers) can suppress fertility. While stopping treatment usually restores fertility, this isn’t guaranteed.
• Surgical procedures like removing the fallopian tubes and ovaries (salpingo-oophorectomy) or the womb (hysterectomy) will result in permanent infertility. If you’re considering these surgeries, it’s crucial to discuss fertility preservation options beforehand.

Because the effects of hormone treatment on fertility are often reversible, there are many cases where trans people have stopped hormone treatment and been able to fall pregnant naturally, and have healthy babies.

Freezing your eggs before starting hormone therapy is recommended for those who may want biological children in the future. While fertility preservation might still be possible after starting treatment, you may need to stop hormone therapy for a time, perhaps two to four months.

Planning fertility preservation before transitioning gives you options if you decide to try for biological children later.